"Sunbae!"
"Sunbaenim!" a voice call out. Yu-ri knows the person is calling out to her, but still she tries to ignore the person and walks faster. But she heard the sound of legs running towards her. She rolled her eyes before turning to see the person calling her before putting on a fake smile.
"Min-ji"
"Sunbae, long-time, how are you doing? I tried calling you during the vacation. Did you post your phone?" The girl smiled as she talked.
"Min-ji, I know why you're contacting me"
"I know I shouldn't but then I wanted us to talk more about what I said last time we met" she looked down to her fidgeting fingers and but her lips "Sunbae, I really like you and know you have that off policy but I think we could work it out" Min-ji said as she fidget with her hands. Yu-ri just stared at her with no single emotion. She just felt a little irritated.
"You know what day it is? Monday, first day of school at that. Don't bring this to me,I clearly told you how I felt about you and before I even got you I know you already know who I am…" she paused then took a deep breath "all this is not new to you at all, I told you not to contact me again, didn't I?"
"I know but… "
"There are no buts. You know my rules, I get what I want and vise versa nothing more. I have nothing to do or say to you. I don't want you pestering me" Yu-ri walked away leaving the girl devastated, after saying this. Min-ji was one of the girls she had slept with and suddenly the girl started attaching herself to her. It was clear from the beginning about her rule to only sleep with each person three times and never again, not even when she enjoyed it enough to want more. She wants to avoid any personal attachments. She doesn't sleep with people for love, it's for pleasure and fun and that's enough. Yu-ri didn't put this in heart . At one point she expected it, she overlooked it and went on her way to her class.
"Yu-ri!"
"Su-hoo. Did you make plans for the freshers' invite party?"
"That's not the first thing to say to someone you haven't seen for a while" Su-hoo paused and smiled. He's also on the same level as Yu-ri. And they are not friends but closer than strangers. "I talked to Miss Sylvia, the English teacher and dean. They said we're supposed to help plan the freshers' party this year, a night party to be exact" Su-hoo said.
"Yeah, I heard. Third-year students always get dragged into it. I was hoping they'd forget about us after last year's chaos." Yu-ri said. A small smile tugged at the corner of Su-hoo's mouth. "You mean the one where the speakers exploded?"
She nodded. "Exactly."
Su-hoo looked at her. "Don't act like you won't enjoy it. You look like the type who likes control."
"Not controlling," she said simply. "Just don't like things done halfway."
"That's basically the same thing."
She smiled a little, but didn't argue.
"How about Se-ra? Where is she?" He said concerned. "She's fine, coming tomorrow. I'll go now" she tilted her body then worked straight to her first class leaving the boy standing. As always class was never fun. You just sit to the extent your butt starts to hurt. Learning was not hard for Yu-ri at all but she still needs to put in the effort of paying attention. What can be more expensive than attention?
"And the class is over"
Hearing the teacher say this they all flew, not one waiting for the other. Yu-ri stared into space while putting her hand on her chin clearly lost in thought of nothing. She only came back to herself after everyone left. She puts her laptop and books in her bag and leaves to get a rest before the next, which is in about an hour.
"Hello" a voice said and again "please wait"
Yu-ri breathes, she's about to lose it. She is tired and is in no mood for talking at the moment. She turned sharply "what is it?!" She said facing someone she had not seen before. The person looked at her with wide eyes stunned and shocked, not expecting that kind of sharp response. "I'm sorry to bother you, I was going to ask for directions to the Engineering building. The map with me is quite confusing" the most innocent voice ever heard spoke. Yu-ri stared for a long time, yes she definitely had interest already. "If I try to explain the directions, you probably won't get it. I can just take you. I'm heading that way anyway, okay?"
"Okay, thank you" the innocent looking girl said. The girl follows her back with the distance of two feets. After walking for about two minutes Yu-ri stops abruptly, making the girl's face hit her back. The girl rubs her forehead while closing an eye. "I'm sorry, did something happen?"
"Sh*t, I forgot my phone!" she said, already freezing for half a second before sprinting back toward the classroom. Over her shoulder she shouted, "Ask someone else to take you! You're basically there already!"
And just like that, she vanished.
… … …
Monday is usually the longest day out of all the days in the week. Why? Because, it's comes when you start to enjoy your weekend and you have to make good use of it. And that's even more tiring.
"How was school?" Se-ra asked, clearly smiling. Her smile was bright, her colour back to her and she no longer looked lifeless like before. Her pain is gone, for now.
"It's the same, teachers being a pain in the ass, I could not concentrate one bit. I didn't do anything but I'm emotionally drained, why? Because I had to direct some freshers, organize new clubs, also plan the freshers party, attend classes, and most of all sit down for more than hours my butt hurts so bad." When Se-ra heard all this she burst into laughter. "Okay, why are you laughing? it's not even funny"
"Sorry, but did you really think your third year would be easy, plus, what you listed are not even that much and then you were so serious when listing it all, that's something to die for, it's rare. You're never serious" Yu-ri shot her a glare and kicked her leg "ouch…" the paused "At least you didn't talk about liking someone like you always do, I'm relieved" Se-ra said, but looking at Yu-ri face she knew she was wrong, she gave her a questioning look "Don't tell me …"
"I mean she was cute" Yu-ri said, shrugging her shoulders, smiling like a lion who just caught his prey "Oh my goodness, you're helpless. You've got to be kidding me, I told yo…"
She was not able to complete her words when a swift light passed through her brain. She grabbed her head and looked at Yu-ri. It seemed like she felt it too. It could only mean one thing… The queen was requesting their presence. But why? It's been few years now and she has not contacted them not even once. Well, she has but has been rejected by Se-ra because she wants to prove she doesn't need anyone to survive in the human world. But this calling was different; her mother only used this when it was urgent. They both closed their eyes and fell, Yu-ri falling on the floor as she was standing and Se-ra on the bed she was sitting on.
×××
[Dragon Realm (Yonggye), Queen of Dragons (yong-ui yeo-wang) palace]
The palace is not like any palace you can think of, not like fantasizes, it's like someone took a billionaire mansion, cranked it to 'god mode' and sprinkled gold dust everywhere. It is a place that is more advanced than the human world. In Yonggye, The palace rose like a gleaming monument to modern royalty. It's luxury overload, marble floors that shine like mirrors, chandeliers bigger than cars and walls that probably cost more than an entire neighborhood. Everywhere you look something is sparkling, Gold frames, silver statues, and enough crystals to blind you if the sunlight hits wrong.
At the heart of the building stood the throne, The queen throne (not for the king, because the queen owns the kingdom and everything in it, she's stronger than the king). It sits on the platform like it's charging with power, made with sleek metal, gold accents and even deep crimson velvet. An armrest shaped like a dragon's head and a backrest so tall. It is all ethereal.
Se-ra and Yu-ri bowed their heads in the presence of the queen in front of them, Queen Seraphina (Su-hwa). She stood before them tall, regal, the kind of beauty that didn't beg for attention but commanded it. Her skin gleamed like silver, it's pale white, kissed by the sun and tempered by war. Her white hair framed her face, each one catching the faint glint of candlelight like it knew it was blessed. Her eyes are sharp with flecks of silver.
The gown she wore moved like liquid frost, white, blue and violet, the hem brushing against the ground as though the world itself bowed to her. Her smile was small, dangerous, and certain but sincere. She isn't beautiful in the way flowers are, she is beautiful the way lightning is, impossible to ignore, impossible to survive unchanged.
The two girls raised their heads then stared at each other. There's silence everywhere before Se-ra said "Mother, did you miss me so much?" The queen, Se-ra's mother, smiled. "What did I say about your tone of speaking, use proper tone" she said calmly with an undying smile on her face.
"What happened, I didn't think you'd use this method to call me…" she paused and looked at Yu-ri "or us?" Queen Seraphina turned to Yu-ri "darling, I called for both of you but mostly because of you." Her smile fades "both of you come with me"